Indicating and recording instrument.



W. P. HOWE.

INDIGATING AND RECORDING INSTRUMENT.

APPLICATION IILEIJ SEPT 17.1907.

Patented Nov. 24, 1908 |NVENTUR WILLIAM F HuwE.

WITNESEESI EIY Maven a r UNITED STATES IZS TENT OFFICE WILLIAM F. HOWE, OF SOHENEGTADY, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR T GENERAL ELECTRIC cOMPANY, A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK,

INDICATING AND RECOBDING INSTRUMENT.

.fl'o all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, \VrLLIAM F. HOWE, a l citizen of the United States, residing at Schenectady, county of Schenectady, State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Indicating and Recording Instruments, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates. to measuring instruments and more particularly to recording instruments which also indicate the instantaneouslvalues of the quantities'recorded.

A common type of recording instrument or meter consists essentially of a small motor connected to a recording device for registering the revolutions of the motor. The motor is connected, to the circuit to be metered and the speed of the motor held within pro )er limit-shy any suitable device, usually a isk of conducting material mounted on the shaft of the motor to rotate, between the poles of a damping magnet. An "instrument of this type does not ive an indication of the instantaneous va ues o the quantities measured by it, and in some instruments such an indication has been secured by utilizing the diag exerted by the rotating disk upon the damping magnet or upon a similar magnet mounted in proximity to the disk, but any error in the speed of the disk produces a corresponding error in the indication, while if the diskiis stopped by friction or some obstruction, the indicating device becomes ino erative. 7

he object of my invention is to provide a recording or motorineter with an indicator for the instantaneous values of the %uantities measured by it, which will be una ected by errors in the speed of rotation of the armature of the meter, which is operative even though the armature of the meter'is held stationary, and which is in general an improvement on devices of this kindheretoindicating armature,

fore used.

. In carrying out my invention, a movable member or indicatin armature is mounted in the field PIOClIlCBCliJY the field coils of the meter so-that any variation in the field caused by changes in the amount of current flowing throng the meter will produce a corresponding change in the position of the an index or pointer movable over a graduated scale.

Themovement of the indicating armature Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed September 17, 1907. Serial No. 393,351.

which is provided with suitably 1 Patented Nov. 24, 1908.

1 restrained by a spring as iscustomary in indicating instruments and is damped in any indicating armature into the field ot the damping magnet.

The indicating armature may be mounted in any suitable relation tothe field coils of the meter, but is preferably mounted to extend through the air gap between the field coils and the armature of the meter so that the effect of changes in the field on the indicating armature will be a maximum.

\Vhen used in connection with a meter having a disk armature, the indicating armature may have a U-shaped portion to embrace the disk, and adamping extension and pointer may be mounted on opposite sides of the pivots from the U-shaped portion so that the entire indicating system is, balanced, thereby producing. an exceedingly light moving system.

My invention will best be understood in connection with the accompanying drawings, which are 'merely an illustration of one embodiment of my invention, and in which Figure 1 is a side view showing a motor meter with a disk armature provided with an indicating attachment constructed in accordance with my invention; and Fig. 2 is a plan view of the instrument shown in Fig. 1.

In the particular embodiment of my invention shown in the drawings, which show an alternating current meter, the leads 1 and 2 of the alternating current circuit to be me- 1 tered are connected to a current field coil 8 and a potential field coil 4, these coils being provided with yokes 5 and 6 forming pole pieces separated by an air gap in which the armature of the instrument moves.

The moving element of the meter coinprises a rotatable disk armature 7 extending into the field of the coils 3 and 4 and mounted upon a shaft 8 which rotates in suitable bearings in the top 9 and bottom 10 of the meter frame. The shaft 8 is connected through a worm 11 with a recorduig or registering device 12 by means of which a record of the revolutions of the armature of the meter is obtained. The speed of rotation of the disk armature 7 is controlled by any suitable braking means, preferably a damping magnet 13 in the form of a Ushaped magnet with a pole on eachside of the disk 7.

I In order to secure an indication of the i instantaneous values of the quantities meassuitable manner, preferably by extending the ured, a movable conducting member or indicating armature is mounted in suitable relation to the field of the coils 3 and 4 so that variations in the field produced by said coils will cause a corresponding movement of the indicating armature. One arrangement which may be ado )ted, as shown in the drawings, consists u an indicating armature H made of sheet. metal with a portion thereof U-shaped to embrace the disk 7, as shown in Fig. 1 of the drawing, and mounted on pivots 15 and 1b which engage bearings adjacent the bearings for the shaft 8. The indicating armature extends through the air gap between the yokes 5 and ti and the disk armature T so that any change in the field will exert a maximum force on indicating armature 14. The movement of the indicating armature is resisted by a spiral spring 17 having one end connected to the pivot 15 and the other end to the top 9 of the meter frame.

In order to prevent violent or sudden fluctuation in the position of the indicating armature, some dam ing means should be pro vided, and a suita le arrangement, as shown in the drawings, consists in extending the armature 14 into the field of the damping magnet- 13 by means of a damping extension 18 arranged to move in the field of said damping magnet.

The indicating armature is provided with an index or pointer, consisting of arms 19 carried by the pivots 15 and 16 and joined by a cross arm or marker 20, Which moves over a suitably graduated scale 21.

The operation of the device is as follows: The magnetic field produced by the coils 3 and 4 causes a rotation of the disk armature T and in the same manner causes the indicating armature 14 to move in the same direction as the disk armature. The movement of the indicating armature 1 1 about the pivots l5 and 16 is resisted by the spring 17 so that eventually the indicating armature assumes a position representing a balance between the force exerted by the coils 3 and 4 and the opposing force exerted by the spring 17. This position is dependent solely on the action of the coils 3 and 4 and the strength of the spring 17, and is not influenced in any way by the speed of rotation of the dislr 7 or by the presence or absence of the disk. A change in the field produced by the coils 3 and 4 causes a corresponding change in the position of the indicating armature 14 whereby a continuous indication is obtained of the instantaneous values of the quantities measured by the meter. Even though the disk armature 7 should be stopped by friction or derangement of the recording mechanism, the indicating ari naturc 14 would still be free to move and would give a correct. indication of the amount of energy flowing through the meter.

My invention may be embodied in many other forms than that shown and described, and I therefore do not wish to be restricted to the precise form shown but intend to cover by the appended claims all changes and modifications within the spirit and scope of my invention. I

\Vhat I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is,

1. In a measuring instrument, the combi nation with a meter comprising field coils and a rotatable a runiture, of a member movable in response to variations in the field of said coils, a control spring connected to said member to render its movement proportional to said variations, and a pointer actuated by said member to indicate the energy passing through the instrument.

2. In a measuring instrument, the combination with a meter comprising field coils and a rotatable armature, of an indicating armature pivotally mounted in the field of said coils, a control spring connected to said armature to render its movement proportional to the strength of said field, and a pointer carried by said armature.

3. In a measuring instrument, the combination with a meter comprising field coils nation with a meter compris fielding coils andand a rotatable armature mounted between said coils, of a pivoted indicating armature extending between the rotatable armature and one of said coils and movable in response to changes in the field, a control spring for rendering the movement of said indicating armature proportional to the energy passing through said instrument, and a pointer carried by said armature.

4. In a measuring instrument, the combination with a motor meter comprising field coils, a rotatable armature andv a damping magnet for said armature, of a pivoted indicating armature mounted in the field of said coils and of said ma et to move in response to changes in the old of said coils, a control spring for rendering the movement of said indicating armature proportional to said changes, and a pointer carried by said armature.

5. In a. measuring instrument, the combination with a motor meter comprising current and potential coils, a. disk armature for said coils, and a damping magnet for said armature, of a pivoted-sheet metal indicating armature mounted in the field of said coils and of said magnet, and a pointer carried by said indicating armature to indicate the energy flowing through said coils.

(3. In a mcasm'ing instrument, the combination with a motor meter comprising field coils, a rotatable disk armature, and a damping magnet for said armature diametrical y o )posite the field coils, of a sheet metal indicating armature balanced on pivots adjacent the shaft of the disk with'one part exteiqding between the disk and the coils and In witness whereof, 1 have hereunto set she opposite part between lthe disk fand the my hand this 13th day of September, 1907.

ampin magnet, a contro *s rin or renr dering the movement of szFid ndicating WILLIAM armature proportional to the energy passing through said instrument, and a pomter carried by said armature.

Witnesses:

BENJAMIN B. HULL, MARGARET E. WOOLLm 

